Resident hits out over damage to footpath

Buy photos » Near Oxleasow Road. (s)

AN ANGRY resident has hit out after council trucks 'destroyed' a Winyates Green footpath.

David Hargreaves has contacted Redditch Borough Council numerous times in a bid to stop the council's contractors driving down the path from the district to Arrow Valley Lake.

He told the Standard the flatbed truck used by the workers was wider than the tarmac laid down, causing damage to both the edge of the footpath and the grass either side. A bollard in the middle of the path also means at one point vehicles must drive completely on the grass.

"The path is breaking apart and it could really do with being relaid. The wagon is wider than the path and the work they've got to do could be accessed from lots of other closes," Mr Hargreaves added.

"They go straight down the footpath. Why not just send a man down there with a wheelbarrow? It's destructive."

In an e-mail to officers, he said a pile of tree shreddings had been tipped over the worst part of the damage to soak up water and clean the path, but he added next time a truck drove down there the damage would re-occur.

He called on them to prevent the damage rather than 'just ignoring it and hoping it goes away'.

A council spokeswoman said contractors had been visiting the site as part of the flood risk management programme.

"As this winter has seen our worst conditions since 2000 this means daily visits - and at times even more. Making sure widespread flooding

doesn't occur is our priority," she said.

"We understand the concerns about the damage from the vehicles and we are looking at replacing the concrete bollard with a drop one so vehicles won't be forced to drive on the grass.

"We are also looking at the possibility of extending some of the pathways, again to make it easier for maintenance access."

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